Bite Your Tongue
by JukiaBear
Summary: Everleigh Wolffe is a new student at Sweet Amoris High. Being inside a new school brings promise. However, Everleigh begins her high school journey in unexpected ways and consequently she unravels the life she knew. Trying to escape her loner, independent past, Everleigh becomes someone who she isn't. Hopefully, she can find someone who will put her back on the right track.
1. Chapter 1

**Bite Your Tongue**

_My Candy Love Fan Fiction_

Prologue:

There is something refreshing about moving to a new area in the summer. It's like a fortune cookie: you can either get a really good fortune, a mediocre one, or one that is as confusing as Confucius. I have never enjoyed seeing things in a bad light so I was excited about the move; more or less, anyways. In truth, I despised my old school. It felt like a Hollywood movie on high school, like _Mean Girls _or_ Gossip Girl_. The majority of the girls were backstabbers and because of that I had never had a true friend. I was lonely. I was _The_ loner at school.

I didn't mind the sneers or jabs, but I did mind the pitiful looks or sayings. I enjoyed being alone because I was afraid to be out of my comfort zone, and speaking to a group of strangers was daunting. Now however, I was going to change that. At this new school, I could be more open. Besides, I was sure that the people over there were less rude than the students at my school. I had gone to a private Catholic school, and the students there were always hungry for a fight. Lucily, Sweet Amoris High School was a public school and I heard public school kids were always nicer.

Even if I didn't make friends right away, that would be okay. It was my junior year of high school, and I was sure that everyone already had their own group of friends. Hopefully, I would be able to fit in and not go back into my loner ways. I had a lot of hope in my new school and in myself, and I was excited. Sweet Amoris High School sounded lucky and sweeter than Los Osos High School: Home of the Grizzlies.

I still had my two Los Osos yearbooks inside my small bookshelf, and even though I was hardly in the year book, I enjoyed looking at my old pictures. I liked seeing how much I had changed over the years, and I couldn't wait to receive my new picture that would be in the Sweet Amoris yearbook. As every girl knew, junior year was an important year, and of course what better way would there be to start the school year off than by having an awesome year book picture?

Which was why my eccentric aunt was trying to place my overflowing, thick, long hair into a french twist. My hair was not complying and the entire room smelled of hairspray. I looked at my reflection in the mirror through half lidded eyes in an attempt to keep the chemicals from entering. Although I was grateful for my Aunt's kind gesture of help, my hair didn't look as good as it did down.

I didn't say anything and let her continue, knowing that if she finished she would be satisfied and then perhaps I could persuade her in letting me just straightening my hair instead of the large fanciful, intricate twists that would not stay. My aunt grabbed the last bobby pins on the counter top and harshly used them to hold a braid tight.

Her hand then reached for more but there were none to be found. She had used them all up- a set of twenty- and only half of my hair was in the twist. She sighed, releasing frustration through her breath. I took this time to turn my head around and before I could open my mouth to speak she began undoing all the braids and removing the bobby pins.

"Everleigh, your hair is always such a mess. Honestly, I do not know how you could do a single thing to that wild creature." My aunt told me. Most people would have thought she was being serious and that it bothered her because always held a serious expression when she was making jokes. I smiled at her as she continued to complain about my hair. It wasn't long before my hair was down. I got off the toilet and quickly stood up, checking once again my reflection.

"Thank you Auntie for trying," I told her sincerely. I enjoyed when people played with my hair, it was relaxing and reminded me about my mother.

"Evelynn was right about your hair; even when you were young you had hair that had a mind of it's own." My aunt told me, then grew quiet. We both did. My parents had died 10 years ago in a car accident. I didn't really remember that much about them. I only knew what they looked like when I saw pictures and I only knew their voice when I saw family videos. Other than that, I could only remember what it felt like to be loved by two good parents.

"I think I'll just straighten it on Monday," I told my aunt in a quick subject switch. My aunt nodded in approval and then gasped. She grabbed the straighter on the counter and tentatively touched the plastic heat plates inside. She shuddered and pulled her fingers off the sticky surface.

"Oh sweetie, I forgot to put that under the sink so it wouldn't get ruined." Exclaimed my aunt quickly, as if I would get angry at her. I did give a small frown but I brushed it off with a shrug. Before I could tell my aunt it was alright, and that I was sure Google had some solution in cleaning the heat plates, my aunt rushed off. Auntie Hope was scattered brained and very quick to do things. She could surprise anyone with her actions.

I left the bathroom and saw my aunt hurrying downstairs. Following her, Aunt Hope found her multicolored messenger bag and pulled out a twenty dollar bill. With an "Ah-hah!", she handed me the wrinkled money with a sense of pride.

"Go buy yourself a new hair flattener," she told me.

"Auntie, no. I can clean it."

"Oh." She paused, but then tapped her chin. "I don't care if you can clean it. You might as well go down to that corner drugstore and get yourself a new one. Think of it as a 'new school year' gift from your favorite aunt!" Aunt Hope chimed and then pranced up the stairs. "And no 'and's. 'if's, or 'but's about it." She then disappeared inside her room and shut the door to show me that it really was the end of our conversation.

I sighed, but decided to take heed to my aunt's words. If I didn't buy the new straighter, she would be hurt. Placing the bill inside my pocket, I put on my sandals and left my aunt's condo. Being immersed in the sultry summer air was welcoming, especially since the bathroom had grown extremely stuffy. I knew my way to the Dollar Shop; it was only two blocks away and was near Sweet Amoris High.

I ran my fingers through my hair to try and make it less stiff. It was a feeble attempt but it gave me something to do to distract me from thinking. In two days, I would be a new student at Sweet Amoris. A pang of longing filled my essence and I was curious to know how the students at Los Osos were preparing for their first day of school. I wasn't missing anyone. I was regretting that I didn't have any friends there or someone my age to talk to about the nervous, excited butterflies in my stomach that appeared whenever I thought about my new school.

As I neared the Dollar Shop, I saw a group of four teenagers standing outside. Three girls and one boy, quickly noticing how the boy was short and scrawny while the girls looked ready to walk on a runway. I walked through the parking lot, which was surprisingly empty except, for two cars, and tried not to make eye contact with them. I bit my tongue and was angry at myself for not making my hair look nicer: these kids were probably from Sweet Amoris. Sweet Amoris was the only high school in this small town, so my reasoning couldn't be that far off. As I was rushing to the entrance, I witnessed something that made me stop in my tracks.

A beautiful girl with full, bouncy blonde hair harshly pushed the awkward boy onto the side walk, making his spiral glasses fall off his nose. She did it quickly and held no remorse by her posture: placing one hand on her hip and held out her hand.

"C'mon, give us the money. You really expect three girls to suffer in this heat?" She scolded him. I stared at her in shock. She was exactly like the girls in Los Osos, only more blunt and physical. The boy muttered apologies as he tried to reach for glasses. Before he could grab them, the blonde used the heel of her boot to break them half. I gasped.

A tall Chinese girl turned around and glared at me, placing her purple compact inside her pocket. Then the blonde and her other friend with brown hair, with dyed blonde streaks making her hair look caramel turned to face me. Three pairs of eyes were glaring at me. I wanted to shrink away and run into the store, and I would of, until I met the eyes of that young boy. His eyes were glassy with embarrassment and perhaps a sheen of tears. I knew I couldn't be a bystander. I gritted my teeth and turned both of my hands into fists.

"Leave him alone," I warned them, and took a step forward. "He doesn't give you any money." The two girls behind the blonde looked shocked. I assumed that the blonde was the queen bee at Sweet Amoris. Of course she was, power made people act like jerks.

"Who the hell are you?" The blonde prompted, placing both her hands on her hips and standing up straight. She was almost as tall as me; I was 5'8, and she was wearing heels. I grinned, and leaned up on the tip of my toes to seem above her: to intimidate her.

"Why is my name important? Does it matter? I'm sure you don't know this boy's name and you still decided to push him." I replied. The blonde rolled her eyes, but didn't look too confident anymore.

"Fine, I'll give you a nickname if you want since your name must be as plain as you. How about, Fluffy?" She crooned, making a baby noise as if she were speaking to a dog. "The name does suit you, your hair is such a disaster. Charlotte, Li, look at how... coarse it is. I guess they don't make doggy conditioner." She added, giving me a smirk. My silence had gave her a small surge of power, her confidence returning, especially since she had brought her friends into the conversation.

"Wow, Amber," The Asian girl said, imitating the blonde's smirk, "Looks like the cat got her tongue; maybe she's a-"

"I'm sorry," I interjected, my stomach dropping as the words were about to tumble out my lips, "I can't seem to understand what you're saying. Let me go get the Dog Whisperer so he can translate for me." The three girls became silent, either because they couldn't understand what I had said or no one had spoken to them like that before. I assumed it was because of both reasons. "Nothing else to say? Good, now get going." Amber opened her mouth but I loomed over her, knowing my height intimidated her. She turned on her heel and began to walk towards a red Mustang with the two of her friends strolling behind her. I watched them speed out of the parking lot and took a deep breath. My stomach felt hollow and I felt adrenaline rushing through my body. It was a common side effect whenever I spoke commanding to a person.

It was scary. Yet, exhilarating.

I bent down to get the boy's glasses while the boy stared at me in awe. I gave him a tentative smile and handed him back his broken glasses.

"Thank you," he murmured shyly, and looked down at his glasses.

"Anytime." I said slowly, then offered him a hand. He took it and I pulled him up with me as I stood. "I'm sorry I didn't do anything sooner." The boy shook his head and gave me a sheepish smile and a shrug of the shoulders.

"It's a okay," he told me. "It happens a lot. Usually no one helps me." I frowned when he said this. Maybe Sweet Amoris wasn't going to be all that great after all. "My name is Kentin, but you can call me Ken. What's your name? I've never seen you around here before." He said, and I saw his face brighten immensely. I smiled warmly at him.

"I'm Everleigh, and I guess you can say that I'm the new girl around here."


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter One:

**First Bloom**

When I woke up this morning, I didn't need any coffee to jump start my day. My excitement was as palpable as caffeine and coursed through my body quicker. I had even woke up a few minutes before my alarm was to go off. Stretching my shoulders by rolling them back, I got out of my bed and didn't mind that I was leaving the cocoon of warmth behind. I went over to my small bookshelf and took my iPod off the iHome jack and turned off my alarm before inserting it back where it once was.**  
**I went straight to the bathroom and began my daily routine of hygiene: brushing hair, teeth and washing my face. For once, my acne had decided not to make me look like a monster on the first day of school. I didn't have bad acne, but whenever I was sick or got extremely stressed I would have a random red bump on my forehead or cheek. Usually with consistent washing my face was clear. After putting my hair into a ponytail, I began to apply make up. I put on more than I usually did because of how important today was, however my motto with make up was that make up should enhance your natural beauty, not change it.**  
**My face looked natural, very natural and I wondered if maybe today I should try to make it more obvious. Going through my small tote bag that held my make up supplies I realized I couldn't do much except eyeshadow and eyeliner. Which would be for the best considering how I didn't like marking my face with bright colors. I stuck with my linen-colored shimmer eye shadow but on the outside edge of my eyelids I accentuated the white powder by using a neutral brown. I looked at myself in the reflection and began fretting. Was I changing myself too much by doing this? Was it obvious? Would people stare at my eyes and think 'Wow, she's trying too hard'?**  
**I bit my lip. The damage was done, and I didn't feel like washing it off and reapplying it. I may as well finish the look. I took the only eyeliner pencil that I had, which was bronze in color. I used it to make a very thin line on my top lid and then applied a little of mascara. I groaned as I looked at myself in the mirror. The strange gold splinters in my eyes were illuminated in my dark brown orbs. I disliked the coloring of my eyes because how unusual they were. It wasn't gold or brown, and not even close to hazel. I just had random gold splinters in a messy spiral pattern. A lot of people said my eyes were unnerving because of the strange coloring.I took a deep breath and looked inside my eyes again. I felt vain in doing so, but I had to try not to look freaky. I wanted to be normal, and to do that I had to look normal. However, the more I stared at my eyes, the more I liked them. They matched my gold tinted skin and didn't stand out too much. Perhaps when my skin was at it's more natural creamy color was when they stood out. Deciding not to freight anymore, I sighed and plugged in my new flat at it heat up reminded me of Kentin and what those girls did them. I hoped I wouldn't see them today. They were superficial people. Most likely they focused on socializing than studious activities. I was sure that they were in regular classes; and being enrolled in honors classes, I would probably not see them at all. I frowned remembering how Kentin had accompanied me inside the dollar shop and had bought masking tape for his glasses. They were broken at the bridge and he had used tape to fix it, making them lopsided on his boyish face.I began straightening my hair, but I was still thinking about Kentin. I felt a connection with him. He was like me. Exactly like me, only shorter and a boy. We were both outcasts, yet the treatment the students at Sweet Amoris gave Kentin was probably worse because he was a boy. We were both in the same grade, and Kentin was apparently very smart. Hopefully we would have a few classes together. Hopefully we could be friends and I could protect him from the horrible trio of girls who enjoyed bullying a few more bitter thoughts, although filled with good intentions, I had finished straightening my hair. I parted my hair to the side and fixed my bangs. I then took a rat comb and teased a few of my layers without using hairspray. I had a lot of layers in my long hair, and my hair was incredibly thick. More than once people had questioned me about hair extensions, and they always held a skeptical expression when I told them it was all natural. Moving my fingers through my topmost layers, I gave myself a almost fluffy yet spiky look on top. It reminded me of an animal but I couldn't quite figure out which animal exactly. Something between a cat or a dog, although it would rely more on opinion to which one my hair represented.I turned off my flat iron and cleaned the counter before leaving the bathroom and heading back into my room. Glancing at the time on my iPod I saw that it was almost six thirty and grinned: I was right on schedule. I went over to my dresser and looked at the clothes that I had picked out. A pair of pristine white shorts with a few commercial rips and tears that showed a black and white fabric underneath, a black and gray sleeveless striped shirt with a black collar connected to a long zipper in the back, and my favorite belt. I quickly changed out of my penguin pajama shorts and blue tank top and switched into my clothes were comforting and relaxed me, yet I felt they were appropriate enough for a good impression. I moved my belt around my hips and buckled it loosely so that it was held up by one hip while it drooped beneath my other hip, creating a slanting angle. I moved my finger over the dark metal roses and leaves which made up the buckle and felt another burst of excitement. I put on a few colored bracelets to brighten up my look and wore my small wire necklace that spelled out my name in intricate cursive letters. My mom got this necklace for me when I graduated kindergarten. It was sterling silver and hand made; and by far, it was my most prized on a pair of black sandals, I grabbed my school binder on my desk and checked it. I had plenty of paper and mechanical pencils, along with a few ballpoint pens and lead. I checked each divider, and tried to think if I was forgetting anything. I wasn't, but somehow I felt I was. I went through my list of things I usually forgot but couldn't find anything that I had forgotten. Shrugging off my forgetful feeling, I placed my binder inside my navy blue messenger bag and went out of my I headed down the stairs, the aroma of coffee greeted me and I knew my aunt was awake. I walked into the kitchen and saw her getting out a coffee mug. She was wearing her pajamas but had a robe wrapped her. Her long hair was braided and wrapped into a bun. I smiled.**"**Good morning, Auntie." I chirped and waited for her to turn around and see me. While my aunt may be considered dense, she had a honest opinion on fashion. She was a visual art student and had been thinking about fashion design in her younger days. Aunt Hope turned around, a yellow mug in her hand, and her eyes took my outfit in. She grinned and nodded an approval. I beamed and rushed at her, enveloping her in a hug. "I'm going to go to school, I have everything that I need and I want to be there early." I said eccentric while my Aunt laughed.**"**I hope your first day will be a good one." She told me, and patted my shoulder before moving out of my hug to fill her cup with coffee. "I won't be home until four today, but you won't mind being alone for a hour or two, right?" I nodded my head then checked the time. It was after a quarter to seven. My aunt saw my expression and chuckled. "Go on!" She told me, speaking loudly, teasing me. She shooed me away with her hands and I quickly pivoted on my heel and briskly walked out of the condo. I walked down the staircase and began my way to Hope had driven me by Sweet Amoris and had also pointed out a few things. I knew exactly where I was heading. It was fairly cool for a summer morning, and a soft morning breeze passed me. The morning skies were scenic as I passed street after street. It wasn't long until I found the huge two story building. At my old school district, the schools were strictly to not be more than one story because of the horrible high wind Amoris seemed different for a public high school. It was nice and tidy, with three separate parking lots: one for teachers, one for those visiting the school, and one for the students. It was a large school, but it had to be since it was the only high school in this small city. I crossed the street that separated the small block of houses from the school and made my way to the front of the school. I walked up a few concrete steps and found myself facing the huge, grand opening of the school. I took a calming breath and stepped inside Sweet halls were empty and for a moment I panicked. Looking around, I saw a room to the right with glass doors and a sign that said 'office' in bold red letters above the doors. I went inside the office and was greeted with an abrasive gale of air conditioned air. My eyes widened as I took in the busy scene. Middle aged women were rushing to and fro, papers were being stacked and lost, phone calls were being answered, and I heard a condescending voice from an old woman who was lecturing the office aids in a separate room. I was in shock and looked around, not knowing where I could begin in asking for help.A woman carrying a stack of papers close to her chest bumped into me and glared at me. I apologized sheepishly and stepped aside, however as I did so I bumped into yet another person. This person protested and shoved me back. I stumbled back but someone caught me by grabbing my shoulders to steady me. I quickly began murmuring apologizes and looked at the person I had almost fallen into. I stopped my flow of rapid apologies and assessed the young man before me, was tall but didn't have the usual lanky limbs, he had a lean figure. His face was quite angular for a male but gave him a cat-like look, and his gold eyes reminded me of a feline's eyes. With a mass of spiky gold hair, short and manageable but having the stylish ruffled look, he reminded me of a lion. However, his facial expression wasn't hostile at all. He flashed me a tentative yet warm smile. "Surprised?" he asked me, and gestured to the chaotic scene surrounding us. "No, well I mean, I guess a bit." I mumbled, and seeing him raise an eyebrow in curiosity made me look to the side. I wondered if he was a young teacher, since he was dressed in brown khaki pants, a white button up shirt and was also wearing a blue tie and leather loafers. I bet every girl dreamed about him during whatever class he taught. "I'm just confused on what to do," I continued with an unneeded explanation."Confused? Are you already changing your schedule? I'm afraid you can't do that for about another week or two and you'll have to talk about it with your counselor." He mused and I smiled, shaking my head. I thought everyone would be talking about a new girl because of how small this town was. I was glad that my enrollment wasn't the big news of the school year."No, I actually need to get my schedule first." I replied, to keep the young man from continuing."Oh! So you missed registration day?""Yeah, I just moved in last week and I have my enrollment papers with me..." I trailed off when the man's eyes widen in realization and he ran his hand through his hair, chuckling."Oh, forgive me. So you're the new girl, I'm sorry for not recognizing you sooner." I frowned at his words, realizing that my assumption was wrong. The blonde held his hand out and it took me a while to realize that I was supposed to shake it. I grasped his hand firmly, and give two small shakes. "I'm Nathaniel: the junior class president, you must be Ever...?"

"Everleigh," I finished for Nathaniel. He looked at me slightly embarrassed. "It's an unusual name, I know." I said lightly to console him. "Usually people pronounce is Ev-er-lee."

"I can assure you that I won't." Nathaniel said, "Anyhow, I can take care of the majority of your enrollment. You have your enrollment papers and the fee?" I nodded my head but before I could respond vocally, a plump, angry woman stormed over to us. Her thick gray bun bobbed on her head with each stomp she took. The woman was elderly, and wore tiny, thin wire eyeglasses and a pale pink dress with a multitude of buttons down the middle. Although she had wrinkles around her mouth and eyes, looking like a typical grandma, she held a furious expression that made her frightening.

"Nathaniel!" She barked, making Nathaniel take a step back and practically cower in her presence. I copied him, something inside me telling me that I shouldn't make her angrier than she was. She was obviously peeved about something and by the way Nathaniel was acting, she held quite a large sum of power. "What are you doing?" Before Nathaniel could respond, the woman continued in her condescending tone. "Chatting with some girl? This is the first day of the school year, you do not have time to be socializing."

"I understand, Principal Strong, but this is Everleigh—"

"Honestly, Nathaniel, I could care less about your girlfriend at the moment. I told you that we had a new student coming, and we still do not have her enrollment papers or her enrollment fee. She should be arriving soon and here you are flirting." Nathaniel bowed his head, but the principal continued. "You're suppose to help the office with the enrollment of the eleventh grade students. I thought you were a responsible young man who didn't waste his time on girls. I even thought that for your senior year, we could shake up the student council and just have one main president instead of four different presidents. Now, I'm not so sure if you would really want that position." She threatened. Nathaniel's face dropped into a horrified, glum expression, matching the look of a whimpering puppy.

A wave of strong sympathy washed over me and I stood straight. A knot was forming in my throat but I cleared it, making the principal's furious gaze fall onto me. I swallowed hard, knowing that I had to stick up for Nathaniel. Obviously, being class president was important to him, and he didn't deserve to be scolded when he was actually doing what the principal wanted.

"I'm the new student, Everleigh Wolffe. I'm sorry if you thought I was distracting Nathaniel but I was just about to give him my enrollment papers. I'm sorry for giving them to you so late, but my aunt had told me that one of the school secretaries had said it would be okay if I turned them in today." I said quickly, hoping she wouldn't be angry at me. Although the principal still had a peeved off expression, her eyes told me that she had calmed down.

"Very well. Well, I'm sorry for blowing things out of proportion. It's just that thing get so frustrating on the first day, and a new teacher of ours isn't here yet... you understand, don't you?" She gave a small, fake smile and I nodded my head as an answer. She then looked at Nathaniel. "Finish up Everleigh's enrollment." Nathaniel bobbed his head up and down as the principal left. When she had disappeared into her office Nathaniel looked at me apologetically.

"I'm sorry, Miss Strong isn't usually like this." I looked at Nathaniel. He was apologizing for how the principal was acting which made me smile. Nathaniel took his president position seriously, and was very close to the school's staff, and it made me trust him more. "Thank you." I looked at Nathaniel confused; not focusing on his words which made him turn a slight shade of red and he avoided his gaze by looking to his right at the wall. "Thank you for telling the principal." He stammered. "C'mon, let's get you settled in." Nathaniel added before I could speak. I smiled at him although he didn't see since he had turn his back on me and was already walking.

I followed Nathaniel down one of the office's two hallways, passing a few doors until we came into a room. It was small, but held a large circular table along with a counter along one wall and a few machines that I assumed to be shredders, printers, and things of that sort. I went over to the table, pulled out my binder and set it on the fake wood. Opening my binder, I quickly pulled out the manilla envelope that held my registration papers and a small white envelope that held my registration fee. When I turned to face Nathaniel, he had already pulled out a file box underneath one of the counters and placed it on the table.

He pulled out a file marked with my last name, first name and the first letter of my middle name. I saw that the box was filled with a lot more files, and in black sharpie said "11th grade, P to Z". When Nathaniel looked at me, I handed him the envelopes and he smiled. As he opened the file, the door of the room opened and a pretty girl stepped inside. She had neat brown hair, wisps held back with stylish clips and kind blue eyes. When she saw me, she looked surprised but quickly smiled at me.

"Oh, Melody. I'm glad you're here," Nathaniel said, looking at her quickly before going over to the copy machine and making copies of my enrollment papers. "This is Everleigh, the new student. I was wondering if you could give her the school map and her schedule? I'm a bit busy right now and I don't want Everleigh to be late for class." He added, not looking up from his work.

"Oh, of course!" Melody said. Her voice was light and cheery, and instantly calmed me down. She gave me a small wave. "I'm Melody, nice to meet you Everleigh." She didn't hold her hand out for me to shake like how Nathaniel did, but she smiled exactly like him.

"Likewise," I told her, placing my binder back inside my messenger bag and fixing the strap on my shoulder so it was more comfortable.

"Come with me," Melody gestured, opening the door for me. I walked through and she followed, but then paused. "Oh, wait out here for a moment, I forgot to do something." Melody closed the door behind her, leaving me at the end of the hallway. I could still see the office staff rushing around, but somehow it had calmed down over the past few minutes. I looked around for a clock but didn't see one in the small hallway. I remembered though that there was one inside the room I was just in, so I opened the door. I don't know why I didn't check my cell phone for the time, and I don't know why I couldn't wait an extra minute. It would have been better if I didn't look inside the room, but I did look inside.

When I opened the door, it didn't make any noise, and when I peeked my head inside, I saw Nathaniel continuing his work at the copy machine and Melody staring at his back intently, fidgeting. She diverted her attention to looking down at her feet as her eyes became glassy with tears.

"I'm being serious, Nathaniel, Amber really did cheat on her finals for science and math. There's no way she could have scored higher than me, and there's no way for me to get such a low score. She must have switched our scantrons." Melody murmured.

"Melody," Nathaniel sighed. "Amber is smart when she applies herself, and I told you, she was studying during finals week. I'm sorry you scored poorly, but please, stop trying to get Amber in trouble. She wouldn't be able to do something like that. How would she get the keys or—?"

"She stole the keys from you!" Melody cried, "Please, I know she's your sister, but she isn't just difficult, she's deceptive and sinister. You've got to believe me, even just this once. I've never complained about all the petty things she's done to me before, but now she's ruining my grades."

"Melody, whatever Amber has done, I'm sorry. You know she's only being rude to you because she doesn't like the fact that you... have a crush on me." Melody's face scrunched up with that statement as if it were almost too painful to hear. "I know Amber would never cheat, and my keys never got stolen. I know your angry at her but please, I really don't like hearing about all the stupid things my sister has done or hasn't done." Nathaniel turned towards Melody frowning, and in doing so, he noticed me. Seeing his reaction, Melody saw me and a horrified gasp escaped her lips. Darting my head back out, I slammed the door and briskly walked down the hallway and out of the office.

Students were now in the halls and many were entering the school. I heard a female and a male voice calling my name and when I looked behind myself, I saw Melody and Nathaniel quickly making their way towards me. Adrenaline began pumping through my veins as my stomach dropped. I quickly dashed down the main hall. I sprinted all the way down the hall, maneuvering through students in record time speed until I came to a set of double doors. I opened them with outstretched palms and ran into the middle of the courtyard. I took a deep breath of air and looked around me. No one was out here, and it was empty. I sighed relieved, and hoped that Nathaniel or Melody wouldn't find me here.

My adrenaline stopped, and my heart settled, letting me think clearly. I wondered why I even ran away from them. I know their conversation was private but overhearing them wasn't that bad a deed. They were only gossiping about some girl named Amber. Thinking of Melody reminded me of what she said about a Amber cheating. I was wondering why the name sounded so familiar. I was reminded of a blonde with big, bouncy curls and a sharp tongue. The girl at the Dollar Shop. Suddenly, I realized it.

Amber looked just like Nathaniel, but with her feline appearance she also had a catty attitude. The girl who was bullying Kentin was Nathaniel's sister. I couldn't picture how those two could be related, their personalities were as clashing as fire and water. However it made sense. If she could bully someone as innocent as Ken, she could most definitely cheat without any qualms. I shook my head at what I had unintentionally discovered, along with the fact that Melody had a crush on Nathaniel and he had rejected her.

I turned around, remembering that I had school, and that is would most likely start soon and I had no idea how to get to my class room, or what class I had to be in. I groaned, my impulsiveness making me go back into my loner ways of running away from and ignoring people. I should have just apologized instead of running away. Considering what kind of people Nathaniel and Melody were, I'm sure they wouldn't have gotten too angry at me.

I walked over to the doors, but before I could grab the handle to open them, the doors were roughly pushed open from a strong force and the wood slammed into me. From the impact, I fell back, and barely managed to catch myself before my head hit the ground. My entire torso stung and I cringed, sucking air through my teeth as an announcement of my pain.

"Shit," I heard a voice muttered. I looked up, still wincing and saw two males standing in the doorway, looking at me shocked. Or rather, one looked concerned and worried while the other looked annoyed. I looked away, feeling awkward and began getting up before an open hand was lingering in front of me. I looked up and took the hand, letting the concerned and worried male help me off the ground. He then bent down and picked up my messenger bag and handed it to me. I took it gratefully, murmured a 'thank you', and slung the bag over one shoulder.

"I'm quite sorry about that, miss." He said, his voice rich and smooth, holding a whispered undertone. I looked into his mismatched colored eyes and noticed his bleached, silver hair with dyed black tips. "Forgive us, for we were didn't mean to harm you." I nodded my head slowly, and moved my hand to my side to touch the top of my bag as an excuse to look at how curiously he dressed. He gave me a small, knowing smile as if telling me he was used to it and it was alright to take in his grand clothing. His clothes weren't normal, or perhaps they may have been a few hundred years ago. Yet somehow, they were much more stylish and modern than the pictures of Victorian era clothing in a school's history book.

"It's alright," I said slowly, and looked at his friend behind him, who had his arms crossed. He didn't make eye contact with me on purpose so I looked back at the Victorian styled boy in front of me. "Sorry for not paying attention." I moved away from him and started walking towards the door, making sure to stay clear of the boy who was glaring at the ground. As I grabbed the handle, I heard a grunt beside me. I looked and saw the two conversing with each other in hushed voices.

"Castiel, you know I'm being serious." The silver haired boy said, a bit loudly for me to hear. I watched them for a moment longer, although my mind was telling me to get to class. Instead of giving in to my curiosity, I left the two and went inside the school building. I had to find Nathaniel and Melody, and hopefully get my class schedule and get on time to my first class. Walking through the crowded hallway, I saw a familiar face and I smiled, feeling relieved. Kentin ran up to me, holding two pieces of papers in his hand.

"Everleigh, I have your schedule and school map. I saw the president and I told him I knew you and he asked me to give these to you and I was worried I wouldn't find you in time but I did." Kentin grinned up at me and I smiled down at him. "We have first period together, c'mon let's go!" He shouted excitedly, making a few people turn to look at us. As Kentin practically skipped off, after handing me my papers, I followed him, trying to keep up with his springy steps. At least now things were finally looking better.


End file.
